Some Fantasies Aren't So Great
by Opinionated Asmodeus
Summary: Jason already had his hands full with trying to help the Rakyat. His life seemingly takes a turn for the worse when he finds himself suddenly stuck in a video game, of all things, with someone intent to kill him. The Far Cry 3 and Final Fantasy X crossover that nobody asked for.
1. Chapter 1

Jason was over all of the damn drugs that Citra and her ilk kept shoving his way. He didn't like the hallucinations, and once his head cleared up after every time it felt like he was slipping further and further down a steep slope that he couldn't climb back up. Now he was somewhere he was certain he'd probably seen in a video game and immediately blamed it on the damn drugs. Only, his head was clear and he could definitely think straight. At least it was nothing like the time he'd gone after Vaas. That had certainly been over the top in mind fuckery and there were things he had seen that had positively squelched any desire he had toward Citra.

"You do not belong here. Where is the Apprentice Summoner?" A girl's voice sounded all around him.

"I brought him here," a child's voice spoke up suddenly, and then a kid dressed in strange garments appeared in front of him. A girl appeared behind him, looking put out. "Him and the others, but two more I did not call were also brought. The last two will cause trouble, especially because one is his Binder."

Jason blinked and stared at the two ghost like entities, a vague sense of familiarity filling him as he watched the boy. "Others? Two more? What are you talking about."

"I must apologize, as I do not even know who you or any of the others are. I only know that I called for some of you to help us. You and the one who used to be like you, only now you are more like him." The boy paced in front of him, going from one end of the strange circular platform they were on in this strange and equally circular room to the other.

Jason went oddly still at that because only one person currently came to mind. Vaas. His mouth went dry and a tremor of something akin to anger went through him because Vaas was supposed to be dead. "He… I killed him. He can't be here, wherever this is!"

The kid shook his head. "He is very much alive, if that is who he is. Then there are the ones you call friends. As for the other two, one is your Binder and the wielder of those who bear those marks you have on your arm. The other is loyal to the Binder."

Jason's head is starting to hurt an awful lot. Binder of the mark like the one on his arm. The Tatau. Citra! And the one loyal to Citra was Dennis… But why were they here? And his friends?

"We will need to remove the marks as they are interfering. The Fayth cannot bond with you and come to your aid while you wear the Binder's marks."

Fayth? Why did that… No! He couldn't be… "Oh my god, I'm stuck in a video game with someone who wants to kill me."

"Video game?" The girl asks in a critical tone. "None of this is a game."

"What? No! Wait, yes! It is a game! At least where I'm from! You're the Fayth for an Aeon. Both of you are! He's Bahamut's Fayth and you are the Fayth for…" Damn, he couldn't remember the name. "It's a really colorful and giant bird thing."

The girl stares at him then goes red in anger and shrieks. "Valefor! I am the Fayth for Valefor!"

Jason flinches and shrinks away from the angry Fayth who is suddenly up in his face.

"That is enough!" Bahamut's Fayth barks out in a voice that radiates with the power of his Aeon. "We must remove his markings so we can bond with him!"

Valefor's Fayth huffs and folds her arms over her chest, her nose going into the air in a snobby manner. "Fine."

"Come forth oh Fayth and help me remove the bindings from this mortal." Bahamut's Fayth glows with his command and several more of the Fayth appear to meet his summons. Jason counts ten Fayth in total, including Bahamut and Valefor, plus a dog. They all surround him with but a gesture from Bahamut's Fayth and they all end up touching him.

What happens next Jason can barely comprehend or describe because pure pain shoots straight through his body while his left arm feels like it's melting. It hurts so bad he can't even scream, his body utterly frozen in place, though he has to wonder if the Fayth might have something to do with that.

After what feels like hours have passed the Fayth have finished and the majority of them leave. Jason is a quivering mess curled up on his right side on the center of the Fayth slab for Valefor, soft sobs finally leaving him. He clutches his aching left arm to his chest and has tears streaming from his eyes.

Bahamut's Fayth stands over him, a slight frown as his face while he looks Jason over. "I am afraid magic cannot cure your pain. It will fade in time." He vanishes now, leaving Jason alone with Valefor's Fayth to watch over him.

"I don't think now is a good time to tell you, but you're wearing the Apprentice Summoner's clothes, Summoner." There's a distinct lack of emotion in her tone as she circles around Jason. She pauses when the door sealing her chamber slides up, her attention drawn to the doorway. "I am yours to command," she says in a low tone then vanishes.

Jason lifts his head as voices filter in, the sounds of an argument coming from the next room. He peers at the doorway and all of the voices go quiet save for one. It's a voice he's quite familiar with, and he groans as he drops his head back to the ground. "Fuck my goddamn life."

"Jason! Is that you, hermano?" Vaas appears in the doorway, a goddamn sword in his hand and very much alive. The pirate lord's gaze sweeps over the chamber and a grin forms on his face as he spots Jason curled up on the middle of the Fayth slab. "What are you doing down there? Taking a nap?"

Yeah, Jason wishes he was taking a nap. Still, he refuses to answer Vaas, which has the pirate lord cursing under his breath. Glaring as Vaas walks over to him, a sinking feeling forms in his gut when a grin breaks out over that bronzed face.

"Jason, Jason, Jason. You should have told me you rather dress like a girl! We could have worked something out!" Vaas all but leers at him as he crouches next to Jason. "Seriously though. What are you doing on the ground, Jason?"

Jason's glare falls away from his face and he looks away from Vaas, instead focusing on a point on the floor between them. "Pure agonizing pain, you should try it some time," he grits out through clenched teeth. Warmth floods his cheeks as more tears fall against his will, because damn if it didn't feel like his arm had been dipped in acid, lit on fire and just about everything else under the sun.

"Are you…crying? The terror of Rook Islands, Snow White, is fucking crying? Oh man, what happened?" There's a good deal of incredulity and amusement in Vaas' voice and then there's suddenly a hand on Jason's arm. His left arm, which is hurting like no tomorrow.

Jason recoils from the touch with a shriek of pain that has Vaas immediately withdrawing his hand. He curls in on himself and clenches his eyes shut while a fresh wave of sobs leave him.

Vaas apparently realizes the severity of his pain, because he doesn't touch Jason's arm again. That it is his arm that is supposed the bear the Tatau also doesn't escape his notice. "Fuck!" The expletive is possibly the tamest thing that comes out of Vaas' mouth as he drops his sword and a torrent of more colorful swears in Spanish leaves him. "I need to see your arm, Jason."

Jason does not want to let Vaas anywhere near his arm right now, but he can't do anything to fight the man off. He just lays there as Vaas messes with the damn decorative hanging sleeve tied to his arm. The ribbon is quickly pulled loose and the sleeve is gently tugged off, revealing the barren skin on his arm.

"It's gone… The Tatau is…gone."

"The markings had to be removed so he could bond with the Fayth to summon us." Bahamut's Fayth appeared again, his tone indifferent.

"You can't just remove the fucking Tatau on a goddamn whim! There's a goddamn ritual that has to be done to remove it!" Vaas sounds rather angry and a smidge concerned. The latter must be something Jason is hallucinating, because he cannot picture Vaas as someone who would care for anyone but himself.

"It was within our power to remove the markings the Binder put on him. They interfered and so we removed them. He is the Summoner, so he didn't have a say in the matter." The Fayth sounds awfully close, and had he the strength for it Jason would have delighted in strangling the little shit.

"You probably did me a fucking favor since I never asked for the goddamn thing to start with," Jason hisses out through the pain and forces his eyes open. Vaas is still crouched in front of him while the Fayth seemed to have spoken from behind him. Knowing that he may regret this, he uncurls his body and rolls onto his back, the action sending shockwaves of pain through him. His vision is going spotty, it's that damn bad. He grits his teeth and bears through the pain as he looks at the Fayth responsible for this mess. "I'm going to enjoy killing all of the Fayth. You especially, Bahamut, so go back to Bevelle and count the fucking days."

The Fayth vanishes, leaving him alone with Vaas. He can't even imagine how the pirate lord is taking all of this in. He risks a glance at Vaas anyways to find that he's being watched.

"So, would you like the marginally good news, the bad news or the even worse news first?" Jason does his best to keep his tone neutral, but a bit of a bite seeps into his voice. When Vaas says nothing Jason gives a suffering sigh. "Marginally good news: I know where we are and what has to be done. Bad news: we are stuck inside a fucking video game known as Final Fantasy X. I'm still trying to wrap my head around that. Even worse news: Citra is possibly here with her loyal lap dog. Given what I just went through, I'm bludgeoning her to death with my staff if I find her first."

"You would turn on my sister?" Vaas sounds intrigued at that, and it's likely the only thing he took note of in Jason's little monologue.

"Yes." Jason leaves it at that then tries to sit up. Putting pressure on his arm is apparently not the way to go. Before he can even realize it Vaas has suddenly scooped him up and is standing. "What are you doing?!"

"You're in no state to move right now. You're possibly the only person who can get out of this mess so it would be stupid of me to kill you. You're willing to turn on my sister." Vaas says it all in a matter-of-fact tone as he carries Jason out of the Fayth's chamber. "And your friends will be less annoying with you around."

"Jason!" Three surprised shouts of his name meet his ears and he glances down the steps to see Daisy, Riley and…a Ronso that strangely reminded him of Oliver. Daisy is dressed in the iconic belt dress that the Black Mage of the X crew is known for wearing. Riley is dressed like Wakka, and Oliver…is obviously Kimahri. That leaves Vaas as Tidus while Jason gets to be Yuna.

They look excited and apprehensive at the same time. Jason knows it's because of Vaas' presence, and the fact that he's carrying Jason. They're likely confused about that.

"So… Uh. Good news, bad news or even worse news?"


	2. Chapter 2

Getting his friends and brother to willingly follow Vaas out of the temple was considerably difficult. Even though the pirate lord was weaponless and had Jason in his arms it had taken a great deal of convincing. Getting Riley to retrieve Vaas' sword, his staff and the decorative sleeve from the Chamber of the Fayth had possibly been the easiest part in this. Explaining where they were had also been easy. They wouldn't have believed him had it not been for Oliver being a Ronso, which why they hadn't really freaked out over that had kind of baffled Jason.

As they entered the main area of the Besaid Temple the priest spotted them and gave a loud cry. "Unhand the Summoner you heathen!" Crap.

Jason feels Vaas tense, and this isn't going to end well if he doesn't intervene quickly. "He's my Guardian! Apologize for your insult!"

"My Lady Summoner! I was not aware…"

What?

"My deepest apologies to Lady Yuna's Guardian."

The fuck? They thought he was Yuna? All of the color drained from his face as he looked up at Vaas who had calmed slightly but had a confused as fuck expression on his face. Jason was certain Daisy, Riley and Oliver were likely in the same state.

"Is the Lady Yuna not feeling well?" The priest looks rather concerned, like he maybe thought that Jason had not become a Summoner after all.

"Just a little tired, but I can summon the Aeon if you would like." It wasn't entirely a lie, and Jason knew that he could summon Valefor if needed. The Fayth, while they hadn't been entirely forthright about what essentially consisted of the NPC base seeing them as the characters they were taking the places of, wouldn't lie about Jason being able to summon the Aeons.

"It would please the village if you would be kind enough to summon the Aeon." And of course they would want him to do it.

Jason gives the most saccharine smile he is capable of then wriggles a bit in Vaas' arms. "Put me down," he says it as softly as possible, and thankfully Vaas acquiesces. Having to not walk back through the Cloister of Trials has helped him marginally recover. Daintily stepping around Vaas, he takes his weapon from Riley then carefully starts down the stairs. Vaas follows him automatically, while his brother and friends seem hesitant. They do follow after a moment, thankfully keeping him from having to call out to them.

The entirety of Besaid Village is gathered outside, and counting the number of people there are versus the amount of homes he can see, the numbers just don't really add up. The homes aren't really homes either. More like large silk tents with the Lodge being the only suitable structure apart from the Temple.

The crowd parts for him, several of the villagers whispering darkly about Vaas as they pass through. Jason pauses right on the spot and turns to the closest villager. "He is one of my Guardians." It's said loud enough for everyone gathered to hear, and a silence quickly settles over the plaza. "The next person who has something negative to say about him will get Sent." Maybe that was taking it too far, if the frightened gasps every villager makes is anything to go by, but Jason is not going to be the rather weak and pathetic thing Yuna had been at the start of the damn game.

Looking at Vaas and the rest of his own group, Jason can tell by their confused looks that he's going to have to explain quite a few of the game terms to them. "Stay right there," he commands softly while looking directly at Vaas. Once he's certain he won't be followed Jason takes half a dozen steps out into the open space so he can summon Valefor. He isn't really sure what to do, so he closes his eyes and frowns slightly.

 _Picture the bond between us as a colored thread, and pull on it to call me._ Ah, so that is how it works. He pictures his bond with Valefor as a reddish-blue thread and tugs on it. Energy swells through him and he opens his eyes to the realization that his body has moved on its own, flowing through the motions to summon, like it was instinct. The ground beneath him glows in the shape of a large circle and four pyreflies shoot up from the circle into the sky.

There's a large grin on Jason's face as he turns to watch Valefor bullet down from a glyph in the sky, her wings unfurling as she exits a barrel roll to glide down to him. He follows the Aeon as she swerves around him and lands in front of him heavily. "Valefor. Thank you for coming."

The large bird-like Aeon makes a noise and dips her head just enough for Jason to reach up and pet her. After a moment she launches straight up into the air on her own and flies up to vanish in a self dismissal.

Jason sways slightly as he turns and looks back at everyone, a faint smile tugging at his lips. He takes a few faltering steps then stops and stares directly at Vaas. He wants to ask for help, because he's still quite tired, but his pride rears its head. He forces himself to walk all the way back to Vaas, at which the villagers think it's okay to swarm him.

"Oi, back the fuck up and give us some space!" Vaas snaps out, going from awed to irritated in no time flat. His demand is met with the desired reaction, along with some dark glares. "The fuck's wrong with you people?!"

Jason is imminently thankful for Vaas' capability to switch his mood on the fly and stays close to the pirate lord, giving the surprised villagers a dark look of his own. He is so totally fucking up how Yuna is supposed to be perceived, but he has zero fucks to give right now. He's tired, in pain and ready to hit the next person that tries to crowd him with his staff. He can't go another step though, so he needs to bite the bullet and ask Vaas for help. "Hey, Vaas…"

Vaas turns to regard him with an arched brow, his expression calming a fraction as he looks Jason over. "Yes, Jason?"

"Would you be so kind as to pick me up and…hell if I know where I'm supposed to be living. The lodge? Would you carry me over to the lodge? Please?" Jason does his absolute best to keep his voice neutral. It works, to some degree, and Vaas looks him over again.

"Am I going to have to carry you everywhere?" There's an edge of seriousness to the pirate lord's tone, and damn if Jason doesn't want to hit him with the staff too.

"Only if you want to," Jason deadpans. He really doesn't have the energy for this. "Yes or no."

Vaas gives him another look over and frowns slightly before he sighs in defeat. "Let's get this over with, Lady Summoner." There's a slight teasing edge to his words and he picks Jason up with little warning.

To his credit, Jason reflexively wraps his right arm around Vaas' neck to accommodate his new position in the pirate lord's arms and blushes a tiny bit. "For the love of whatever deity you believe in, please don't call me that, Vaas," he hisses out with a glare and withholds that urge to hit Vaas with the rod tightly clutched in his right hand.

"Just trying to make this more believable." Vaas grins at him as he starts his trek over to what he assumes is the lodge.

"Lady Summoner, are you okay?" One of the priests for the temple approaches almost immediately, intercepting them on the way to the lodge and the bed that Jason was so looking forward to.

"I'm still a little tired from the trial," Jason explains with a hint of exasperation and notes the dubious look he is given by the priest.

"Has the Lady Summoner forgotten her room at the temple?"

Ah. So that's why the priest is all up in arms over Vaas carrying him to the lodge. As much as he wants to give the priest a tongue lashing right now he's too tired to put much venom into his tone. "I-"

"Yuna can sleep where Yuna want," Ollie booms in a perfect imitation of Kimahri from directly behind the priest, making the man jump nearly a foot into the air.

"Is there a problem over here?" Daisy cuts in, appearing by their side as the poor priest whirls around to face the Ronso that is their friend.

"N-n-no! No problem!" The effectively cowed priest starts backing away from Ollie, only to bump into Riley, who has appeared to cover their remaining side. They've effectively boxed the priest in.

"Then get out of here," Riley all but snaps while the priest gives an undignified squeak.

"Y-yes!" The priest scuttles between Riley and Ollie, looking every bit harassed.

Jason smirks and relaxes against Vaas, the pirate lord blissfully silent for the entire exchange. He's aware of Vaas' hold tightening just a bit on him, but he doesn't mind it in the least. "So… Sleep?"

"Is it okay for me to run that bastard through with my sword?" Vaas asks seriously as he continues on to the lodge, his friends trailing after them.

"I was considering summoning Valefor to eat him," Jason half-heartedly jokes and is stunned when Vaas grins at the idea. "Unfortunately we can't go around slaughtering every NPC who gets on our nerves. We can, however, take out our frustrations on a certain Maester when the the time comes."

"That is not a word." Vaas gives him a scowl as they make it into the lodge and carries him past the befuddled Crusaders that generally occupy the structure.

"It's a word. I don't have the energy to explain it right now, though I bet Ollie could." Jason is almost boneless when Vaas sets him down on one of the beds past the partition. He makes a noise of contentment in the back of his throat as he settles onto bed, which feels like heaven compared to anything he's slept on in the past few weeks on Rook. He doesn't even hear the comment Vaas makes as he drops straight into sleep, uncaring of the pirate lord's presence.


End file.
